Riding toy



Dec. 22, 1936.v STROHACKER 2,065,034

RIDING TOY Filed May 3l, 1955 Zijne/fof am fa/mehr.'

Patented Dec. 22, 1936 -UNiTED STATES OFFICE RIDING TOY Application May 31, 1935, Serial No. 24,169

Claims.

This invention relates to riding toys. One of the objects of this invention is to provide a wheeled toy upon which a small child may ride and which is manually propelled along the ground by a lever and pawl and ratchet connections with its traction wheel.

Another object is to provide driving means which permits the toy to coast along the ground and which will prevent the toy from rolling backward down hill.

Another object is to provide a cowl with fenders for the steering wheels, upon which a child may place its feet and steer the toy.

Another object is to limit the radius play of thev 1'5 cowl and steering wheels so as to prevent a child from getting its feet caught between the wheels and body of the toy, and to prevent the toy from turning too sharply and upsetting.

With these and other objects and advantages in View, this invention consists in the several novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts, hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

The invention is clearly shown in the drawing accompanying this specification, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken out, of a riding toy embodying a simple form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the steering mechanism, with the body of the toy removed therefrom;

Fig. 3 is a detail, vertical, fragmental, crosssection, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail, vertical, fragmental, longitudinal section, taken on the line 4-4 of Figs. 3 and 4;

Fig. 5 is a view, partly in end elevation and partly in vertical cross-section, of the rear Wheels and driving mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a detail, vertical, longitudinal section, 40 taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a detail, vertical, longitudinal section, taken on the line 'lof Fig. 5.

Referring to said drawing, which is merely illustrative of one form of the invention, the reference character I0 designates the body of the vehicle, which, as shown, comprises an elongated wooden slab, narrow at the front end thereof, but wider at the rear end, to provide a seat I I for the child to sit upon. The body is supported by steering wheels I2 at its forward end and by wheels I3 at its rear end.

A hand lever I 4 is provided for actuating the driving mechanism. The lever is provided at its upper end with handle bars I5, and intermediate its ends, it is fulcrumed upon a pin or stud I6 secured in ears Il formed on a hollow supporting bracket I 8 which is fastened to the body I0 by bolts and nuts I9.

The body is formed with a lengthwise extending slot 20, adjacent its forward end, through which the lower arm of the lever I4 swings. Desirably the supporting bracket I 8 is formed of sheet metal, bent up to form two side walls 2I and an inclined top wall 22. The side walls and top wall terminate at their lower edges in horizontal anges 23 that rest upon the body and are fastened thereto by bolts and nuts I9. The supporting bracket partially covers the slot 20 in the body and gives a pleasing and attractive appearance to the front end of the toy.

The steering wheels I2 are rotatably mounted upon a pin or axle 2li, which is carried by downturned arms 25 of a yoke-like axle bracket 26, which is swivelled to the front end of the body by a king pin 21, that extends through the body and through the bracket 26 and through a yoke-like d bracket 28, which is riveted or otherwise secured to the bracket 26, and extends down therefrom, as is indicated in Fig. 3. A cotter pin in the lower end of the king pin 21 fastens the parts t0- gether. The pin or axle 24 is headed at one end and is fastened in place at its other end by a cotter pin.

Spot welded, or otherwise secured to the top of the axle bracket 25, is a combined cowl and fender member 29, desirably formed of a piece of sheet metal struck up to give it a suitable shape. The cowl portion 30 has a middle flat part 3|, from which depends a skirt-like portion 32 that overhangs the axle bracket, and the flat part 3| is struck up at its ends to form the fenders 33 which overlie the steering wheels I2. It is to be observed that the cowl projects beyond the sides of the body, and that the fenders are disposed beyond the cowl, thereby providing ample room for a child to place his feet upon the fenders or cowl in steering the toy.

For limiting the radius play of the cowl and steering wheels, an arm or short bar 34 is spot welded, or otherwise secured, to the flat portion of the cowl and projects rearwardly therefrom through a slot 35 formed in a bracket 36 which is secured to the underside of the body I0 by the bolts I9. The rear end of the bracket 36 is bent downward, as at 37, at the ends of the slot 35, to provide stops to limit the radius play of the arm and thereby limit the radius play of the cowl and steering wheels. Desirably both the bracket and the arm may be formed with upwardly struck, inter-engaging V-shaped portions,

which serve to yieldably hold the steering wheels in alignment with the rear wheels, but permit the whole steering assembly to be turned in steering the vehicle.

It is to be observed that the cowl and fenders cover the axle bracket, axle and steering wheels, and provides rests for the childs feet, by means of which the steering wheels may be turned` in steering the toy.

The rear wheels I3 are mounted uponan axle or pin 38, which extends through and is secured in down-turned arms 39 of a yoke-like axle bracket 40, which is bolted or otherwise secured to the underside of the seat portion or body. Surrounding, and rotatively mounted on the axle 38, is a sleeve dil, to which is secured a strap 42, that is wound upon the sleeve with its forward end connected tol the lower arm of the lever I4, by a link 43, pivoted to the lever. One end of the sleeve is formed with oppositely disposed ears M, to which is riveted o-r otherwise secured a disc-like head G5, to which are pivotally secured two pawls i6 that are arranged to engage with a drum @l riveted or otherwise secured to one of the rear wheels as, for instance, by pins 48. The drum lll is formed with an annular flange 49 which surrounds the disc-like head 45 and pawls 46, and is provided with a series of openings Eil, thro-ugh which the pawls 46 are arranged to engage the flange of the drum.

There are several holes 56 disposed above the flange of the drum which permits one or the other of the pawls to drop by gravity into engagement in one of the adjacent holes. A toe 5| formed on each pawl is arranged to drop into one of the holes and engage the edge thereof to thereby rotate the drum and therewith the wheel to which it is attached, whenever the strap is drawn forward. It is to be observed that no springs are required to engage the pawls with the drum.

For turning the sleeve back and winding up the strap thereon after it has been drawn forward by the pull on the lever, a coiled spring 52 is employed, which surrounds the sleeve and has one end fastened thereto and its other end fastened to a loop 54 struck up from an arm 53 that extends down from and is secured to the axle bracket 56. Unwinding of the strap, places additional tension on the coiled spring so that when the pull on the strap is released, the coiled spring rewinds the strap on the sleeve.

Conveniently the connection between the strap and sleeve is provided by slotting the sleeve at two adjacent places, as at 55, to leave a bar 56 between the slots, around which the end of the strap is passed and fastened by a rivet. The adjacent end of the coiled spring may be hooked around the bar 56.

A skirt 5l may be secured to the underside of the seat to add to the appearance of the toy and to cover the rear wheels.

l' claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A riding toy, comprising in combination a body providing a seat, steering and rear wheels supporting the body, a lever supporting bracket, a lever fulcrumed on the bracket, an axle upon which the rear wheels are mounted, an axle bracket therefor, a spring returned sleeve surrounding the axle, a strap secured to and wound upon said sleeve and connected to said lever, and clutch means between one of the rear wheels and the sleeve.

2, A riding toy, comprising in combination a.

body providing a seat having a forward exterisio-n, rear wheels and driving means for one of said wheels, steering wheels supporting the front end of the body, and a combined cowl and fenders carrying said steering wheels, with the fenders overlying the same, said combined cowl and fenders being swivelled to the body and providing rests for a childs feet and whereby the toy may be steered.

3. A riding toy, comprising in combination a body providing a seat having a forward extension, rear wheels and driving mechanism, steering wheels, a combined cowl and fenders carrying the steering wheels, and swivelled on the forward extension of the body, and co-operating means on the body and cowl for limiting radius play of the cowl and steering wheels.

4. A riding toy, comprising in combination a body providing a seat having a forward extension, rear wheels and driving `mechanism, steering wheels, a combined cowl and fenders carrying the steering wheels, and swivelled on the forward extension of the body, and a slotted bracket on the body and an arm on the cowl traveling in the slot of the bracket and serving to limit the radius play of the cowl and steering wheels. l

5. A riding toy, comprising in combination a body providing a seat and a forward extension,` rear wheels and driving means, steering wheels, an axle bracket carrying said steering wheels, a cowl secured to and overlying the axle bracket, said cowl having fenders at its ends overlying the steering wheels, a bracket secured to the body and having a horizontal slot therein, and an arm rigidly secured to the cowl and traveling in said slot.

6. A riding toy, comprising in combination a body providing a seat and a forward extension, rear wheels and driving means, steering wheels, an axle bracket carrying said steering wheels, a cowl secured to and overlying the axle bracket, said cowl having fenders at its' ends overlying the steering wheels, a bracket secured to the body and having a horizontal slot therein, and an arm rigidly secured to the cowl and traveling in said slot, the bracket and arm having interengaging V-shaped parts for yieldably holding the steering wheels in alignment with the rear wheels.

7. A riding toy, comprising in combination a body providing a seat having a forward extension, steering wheels and an axle bracket therefor swivelled to said forward extension, a rear axle bracket having downturned arms, an axle carried by said arms, rear wheels mounted on the axle between said arms, a ratchet mounted on one of the rear wheels, a sleeve surrounding the axle, pawls pivotally carried by said sleeve and arranged to engage said ratchet, a strap wound upon the sleeve, a lever fulcrumed on the body with one end attached to the strap, and a coiled spring surrounding the sleeve with one end attached thereto and its other end attached to the rear axle bracket.

8. A riding toy, comprising in combination a body providing a seat having a forward extension, steering wheels and an axle bracket therefor swivelled on said forward extension, a rear axle bracket, anaxle carried thereby, rear wheels mounted on said axles, a flanged drum mounted on one of said rear wheels, there being circumferentially disposed openings in the flange of the drum, a sleeve surrounding the axle, a head secured to one end of said sleeve and closing one end of the drum, pawls pivotally mounted on the head and arranged to engage in the holes in the drum ange, lever operated means to rotate the sleeve in one direction and resilient means to rotate the sleeve in the reverse direction.

9. A riding toy, comprising in combination a body providing a seat having a forward extension, steering wheels and an axle bracket therefor swivelled on said forward extension, a rear axle bracket, an axle carried thereby, rear wheels mounted on said axle, a flanged drum mounted on one of said rear Wheels, there being circumferentially disposed openings in the flange of the drum, a sleeve surrounding the axle, a head secured to one end of said sleeve and closing one end of the drum, pawls pivotally mounted on the head and arranged to engage in the holes in the drum ange, a strap secured to and Wound upon the sleeve, a hand lever fulcrumed on the body with its lower end attached to the sleeve, and a coiled spring surrounding the sleeve with one end attached to the sleeve and one end attached to an arm which is secured to the rear axle bracket.

10. In a riding toy, a body, steering wheels, an axle bracket swivelled upon the body and carrying said steering wheels, and a cowl secured to said axle bracket, said cowl having a skirt overhanging the axle bracket and having fenders overlying the steering wheels.

LOUIS STROHACKER. 

